Welcome to Demeter Class. In year 1, learning builds upon their time spent in Reception. During the year we create an approach to learning which supports the understanding of our school values, British values and attitudes. We provide the children with real life connections and experiences to promote an understanding of the world around them, independence and high aspirations.  We strive to equip the children to be critical thinkers who are actively engaged with the challenges and opportunities of life in an ever-changing world outside of the classroom.

What We Learn in Demeter Class

During the year, our learning journey takes us through a wide range of engaging topics and skills:

Reading

We strongly believe that reading is a gateway to learning and knowledge. That is why we strive to provide a rounded approach to teaching reading through phonics sessions, fluency lessons, and of course story time! It is our aim to cultivate a desire to read and promote all literature so that pupils become readers for life.

Read, read, read. Reading with and to your child is the single most powerful thing you can do to support their learning and progress at school.

Essences of Writing

The very essence of writing is in the desire to tell someone something. We make writing exciting by using a variety of topics the children will enjoy such as safaris, ice planet, poetry and some fantastic story books. Writing enhances problem-solving and critical thinking skills because words need to be written down in a particular order and structure. Thus, children clearly need to process information to form words and construct sentences and paragraphs.

Mathematics

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in Year 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. We strive to promote confidence in core arithmetic skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Engaging Topics and Cross-Curricular Learning

Demeter Class enjoys studying a variety of topics that encourage curiosity and critical thinking:

• History: Children learn about fascinating explorers, learning about primary and secondary sources and assembling timelines.
• Geography: Children will acquire knowledge of where they live, how the weather affects their lives and seaside, helping them to understand about their environment.
• Science: We encourage children to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.

Our Learning Journey

The learning journey supports and develops the acquiring of knowledge, skills, and experiences that shape a child's development and learning trajectory. Children learn in different ways, we support these ways and believe in differences being important in developing a child who believes in themselves and is proud of who they are and belonging to our school.